This invention relates generally to an apparatus for use in high-temperature furnaces, and more specifically to furnace furniture for improving the load efficiency and stability in a furnace.
In high-temperature furnace and refractory construction, and in heat treating industrial uses such as hardening, brazing, annealing, tempering, and sintering, bases of preferably gridlike structure that are resistant to high temperature and that must have high mechanical strength are used. CFC (carbon fiber reinforced carbon) grates have proven themselves for this purpose. In the prior art, they are put together from strips or are made from plate material, for instance by waterjet cutting. Grates of metal high temperature alloys made by casting or welding are also known.
The distance between layers is critical to optimize a furnace load without wasting space and money. The legs supporting each successive layer need to be strong, adjustable in height, but have a small footprint and be low in thermal mass. Additionally, many applications require means to prevent parts from rolling or sliding during loading and unloading of the furnace.